April 06, 2012

I am so honoured to be presenting a workshop as part of the Advancing Women in Business Series, sponsored by Vancity, Raised Eyebrow, Hollyhock and UBC’s Sauder School of  Business.  I’ll be speaking about Talent Management, offering small business entrepreneurs tips and techniques to hire, retain and develop their staff. Here is more information about all the workshops: http://www.womensconference.ca/

The traditional performance review process is intended to provide an objective evaluation of the employee’s work and how they can do better.  But that’s not most people’s experience.  More often that not, these reviews are one-sided, subjective, political and detrimental to the manager-employee relationship. Or else they are just useless, pro-forma exercises that stay safe.  This article introduces a new and improved paradigm: Collaborative performance “previews” followed by continuous conversations  — managers and employees are reciprocally accountable for goals being met and performance being developed.  

Ken Keis writes: “Why, with all our career-development processes and programs, do the majority of individuals continue to dislike their jobs, from a feeling of mild irritation to downright loathing? Is it because our current HR methods are not working? ”  Read his article on how to discover the secrets to understanding yourself and others and what to consider when making your career choices.

As a true Urbanite, I sometimes need reminding that my brain, body and soul need to leave the city and hang out in nature.  It’s also really good for my waistline!  Here’s a wonderful article that describes all the benefits of playing outside and maintaining sustainability. http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/29/nature-deficit-disorder/

June 01, 2011

I’ve been reading alot about the powerful triad of brain, mind and our relationships.   In this article, Daniel Goleman talks about how we can increase our resilience to change by re-training our brain through mindfulness practices.

Karen Kelloway wrote a great book on making a career change.  Here she highlights how a re-evaluation of your situation and career goals can help you through a potentially challenging process: Name it, reframe it, get into alignment, create a career change strategy and then fill the gaps. These steps are very similar to what leaders should do in large-scale organizational change initiatives.

What an amazing group of people! I was lucky enough to be invited to facilitate a workshop on “Navigating Organizational Change and Transition” at the Social Venture Network’s Spring Conference 2011 at Skamania Lodge outside of Portland, Oregon. SVN members are passionate, smart and welcoming business people who are interested in making the world a better place…seriously! They are driven by socially responsible values and sustainable business practices, and work hard to keep the triple-bottom line front and centre in their everyday pursuits.  It was an honour to be among them and have a chance to meet many leaders in the CSR world.  Thanks to Deb Nelson, ED of SVN for the invitation!

April 24, 2011

Tammy Erickson has spent alot of time with members of Generation X.   In this article she offers her ideas as to why Gen X leaders will use their realism and values-oriented sensibilities  to create more humane organizational cultures. Baby boomers have a hell of a time managing this generation because they don’t spend the time learning about the values X’ers espouse.  Life would be so much easier if they read Tammy Erickson!

Just out: the universals of leadership from a cross-cultural lense covering 62 countries, both positive and negative behaviours.  Check out the skills you need to develop and the attitudes you need to drop!

April 15, 2011

Kenny Moore, aka kennythemonk, offers his litmus test in choosing your organization’s next ethical leaders. Find out how here they treat waiters and what’s going on in their “interior” business conversations.